Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Salaries

The BLS classifies 71 detailed occupations in this group, all with a published median. Across the whole group the BLS reports a median of $86,530 a year and about 9.82 million jobs.

Occupations71

Group median$86,530

Total employment9.82 million

Highest median$559,030

The spread inside the group runs from $37,640 for Dietetic Technicians to $559,030 for Pediatric Surgeons. Ranking occupations by median is the fastest way to see which roles the market pays most within this field.

All healthcare practitioners and technical occupations by median pay

Medians are annual, from the BLS May 2025 national estimates. Employment shows the number of jobs in each occupation.

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical occupations by median annual pay, May 2025
Occupation	Median pay	Employment
Pediatric Surgeons	$559,030	1,190
Cardiologists	$496,010	17,290
Radiologists	$420,860	26,770
Surgeons, All Other	$414,010	25,140
Anesthesiologists	$391,490	38,760
Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	$358,550	14,100
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons	$352,220	4,910
Emergency Medicine Physicians	$335,550	32,880
Dermatologists	$328,730	11,370
Physicians, Pathologists	$312,400	11,110
Prosthodontists	$311,180	870
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$300,080	8,950
Obstetricians and Gynecologists	$292,910	21,260
Orthodontists	$289,140	6,210
Psychiatrists	$281,870	27,980
Physicians, All Other	$265,930	342,720
General Internal Medicine Physicians	$256,560	67,150
Neurologists	$248,560	10,590
Family Medicine Physicians	$244,180	107,510
Nurse Anesthetists	$236,590	51,840
Dentists, All Other Specialists	$224,990	5,230
Pediatricians, General	$210,040	39,390
Dentists, General	$170,950	124,390
Podiatrists	$160,300	9,680
Medical Dosimetrists	$147,470	3,410
Pharmacists	$140,910	321,970
Optometrists	$136,570	42,790
Physician Assistants	$135,880	162,150
Nurse Midwives	$134,040	7,920
Nurse Practitioners	$132,300	323,040
Veterinarians	$130,100	83,900
Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other	$115,210	28,630
Radiation Therapists	$105,310	17,070
Physical Therapists	$102,760	267,330
Nuclear Medicine Technologists	$101,370	17,080
Occupational Therapists	$100,330	162,450
Genetic Counselors	$100,040	3,740
Dental Hygienists	$98,100	222,740
Speech-Language Pathologists	$97,870	183,390
Registered Nurses	$97,550	3,379,720
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$96,590	90,160
Audiologists	$95,780	13,660
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	$95,480	43,390
Respiratory Therapists	$82,280	139,790
Orthotists and Prosthetists	$81,110	9,390
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	$80,110	230,490
Chiropractors	$79,200	39,630
Therapists, All Other	$77,930	22,640
Dietitians and Nutritionists	$76,400	77,570
Acupuncturists	$76,040	7,830
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians	$74,310	62,960
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	$68,020	38,100
Surgical Assistants	$66,800	22,270
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other	$65,790	35,010
Hearing Aid Specialists	$65,160	11,270
Surgical Technologists	$64,650	117,460
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	$64,400	648,410
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	$62,930	332,940
Athletic Trainers	$62,520	30,500
Recreational Therapists	$61,960	14,930
Paramedics	$60,600	100,610
Exercise Physiologists	$59,460	8,560
Medical Records Specialists	$51,140	194,720
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other	$50,290	182,610
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians	$47,380	129,140
Opticians, Dispensing	$47,260	73,530
Pharmacy Technicians	$45,750	471,680
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians	$45,570	71,010
Psychiatric Technicians	$45,130	156,960
Emergency Medical Technicians	$44,470	180,510
Dietetic Technicians	$37,640	31,560

How to read this table

A high median can reflect scarce skills, union coverage, licensing requirements or simply a small, senior workforce. A low median can reflect part-time schedules or a large entry-level tier. Neither is a verdict on the work itself.

Employment matters as much as pay when comparing occupations: a role with 500,000 jobs and a $86,530 median offers far more openings than a niche role paying twice as much.

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